At one time or another, we may have an encountered someone who has backslided. While the common thing to do is to leave them to their own devices and hope they return in one piece. But we have to remind ourselves that the kind of love we profess in our Church should be inclusive – even of those who have strayed away.
Instead of judging, we should look at why people tend to backslide and what the Bible says about it..
In the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), we see that sometimes people may go astray because of rebellion and or arrogance. Yet the Father waits for patiently for their return, and even throws a feast when they do. Can we be instrumental in helping them to return?
Some people may also backslide due to our failure and neglect as a church. In the parable of the Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-10), we see that “there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents." The backslider may have sinned, but have we been responsible for not bringing them to repentance?
We have all made mistakes, and may have been responsible directly or indirectly for the increasing number of backsliders around. We can learn from the parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3-7), that it may be a good thing to leave those who are right on track where they are, and then shift our focus to look for those outside who may need help, because
“ there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7)